First Principles: Samair in Argos: Book 3 by MICHAEL KOTCHER Read Free Book Online

went straight back from the hairline at her forehead all the way back to the tips of her ponytail.  “Yes, Captain?” the AI asked.
                  “Have Serinda get a message to the Samarkand ,” he said, referring to FP’s constructor ship, which was a few light minutes away, digging around in the asteroid belt.  “If they’re not already aware of what’s going on, give them the full update.  Inform them that we’ll be in touch in a few hours, but for now maintain operations.”
                  “Understood, sir.”  She nodded.
                  “Any updates on the fight going on with the Leytonstone ?”
                  Stella nodded, her face grim.  “The fight continues.  From what my long range sensors have picked up, Tamara and her ships have been harassing the battlecruiser.”  She paused.  “That’s odd.”
                  “What?”
                  “The Leytonstone is accelerating toward us.  And it looks like the fighters are staying with her, continuing to harass, but the corvette has broken contact.”
                  Vincent felt his spine go cold.  “Destroyed?”
                  She shook her head.  “No, Captain, not as far as I can tell.  We’re too far out for me to get a clear reading, but I’m still reading the Cavalier ’s beacon ID and power signature.”
                  He sighed in relief.  “Well, that’s something.  But you said the Leytonstone is coming here?”
                  “Well, they were anyway,” she pointed out.
                  “Yeah, but we can’t stop her.  Hell, it was iffy whether Tamara’s forces would be able to stop that ship.”
                  Stella nodded.  “Statistically only about a twenty-seven percent chance of success, pitting a corvette and twenty-six fighters against a damaged battlecruiser.”
                  Vincent snorted.  “Not great odds, Stella.  And that’s it?  Twenty-seven percent?  We don’t even know the status of the battlecruiser.”
                  She shrugged.  “I could go into the facts that we do know, Captain.  All the data that I’ve collected from the orbital’s datanet and from the rumors I’ve pieced together, as well as other information I’ve gotten from the Kara’s databanks.  I don’t know how interested in all if it you’d be.  Suffice it to say, though, while the Leytonstone certainly won’t be up to full combat capability, it’ll certainly be dangerous.”
                  He sighed.  “But twenty-seven percent, Stella?  That’s just insulting.”
                  The AI laughed.  “Perhaps.  Maybe Korqath and Tamara can pull it out of the fire.  It wouldn’t be the first time.”
                  Vincent gave a small smile in return.  “I hope so.  Is there anything we can do to help?”
                  Stella sighed, a very human gesture, something she didn’t need to do since she wasn’t organic and didn’t need air to breathe.  “Not that I can see, Captain.  I mean, we have a few more days before enough of the fighters we’re building are ready.  We have four on the deck right now going through final checks, but it would be another day before those are ready.  But we also don’t have any pilots for them.”
                  He sighed again.  “I guess that’s out.  And I’m not going to bring the big girl,” he patted the table, “into battle.  I’m seriously considering leaving this area and heading over to the Samarkand .”
                  Stella frowned, steepling her fingers.  “Well, I can’t argue with your thought about keeping me out of the line of fire, but what about all the people?  The FP employees, the security teams and the crew off this ship on the Kara and the Kutok mine?  We